Mono Basin Pinnacles, Morning

Mono Basin Pinnacles, Morning
“Mono Basin Pinnacles, Morning” — Rocky prominences above Mono Basin in morning light.

I “discovered” these formations years ago while searching for autumn aspen color in mountains east of the Sierra Nevada. I was at a location where I have frequently photographed dense groves of small trees. As I photographed them in soft morning light — they are on the shaded side of a ridge — I noticed this fascinating terrain dropping towards Mono Basin.

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Aspens, Late Afternoon

Aspens, Late Afternoon
“Aspens, Late Afternoon” — Autumn light slants across colorful groves of aspen trees, Eastern Sierra.

This photograph comes from a rather accessible location in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, a place where aspens appear on what is essentially high desert terrain rising toward the crest of the range. There are large groves of aspens here, but the trick is the lighting — the best light, backlight coming over the Sierra, arrives late in the day and only lasts a short time. Consequently timing is everything — arriving when the colors are at their best and being there and ready to photograph when that light hits.

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Leaves, Bath

Leaves, Bath
“Leaves, Bath” — Large leaves, photographed at a botanical garden in Bath.

I did not go to Bath, England to do nature photography, but sometimes opportunities arise. We were actually there to do a bit of urban tourism — visiting the historic baths, viewing the nearby church, checking out the Georgian architecture. In fact, those were the things we spent most of our time on. But at by this point we were over four weeks into our trip, and sometimes it is nice to get away from the urban stuff. So we went for a walk.

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The Last Leaves, Morning Light

The Last Leaves, Morning Light
“The Last Leaves, Morning Light” — Morning light falls on aspen trees nearly devoid of autumn leaves.

I arrived here before dawn on an early October morning, planning to find a spot above a lake where I could photograph colorful aspens, the lake, and the forest and mountains beyond. I began photographing as the first sunrise light struck the peaks, and continued as the reflected light lit nearby aspens and the peaks’ mirror image appeared in the surface of the lake. Eventually the light in front of me became less appealing, and I turned my attention elsewhere.

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Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.